Cowboy Bebop- My Own Worst Enemy
by Turkish
Summary: A Fan Fic of the Cowboy Bebop series with some more action and story helping Spike become ready for the the climatic scenes in Real Folk Blues.


1 Cowboy Bebop  
  
My Own Worst Enemy  
  
Chapter 1  
  
"Nice tune…. Real easy…"  
  
The smoke filled jazz club had guitar riffs bellowing from its speakers around it's ceiling. People were standing around and sitting down having drinks while the performer for the night did his routine. On this particular night it was a man named John Harley. John was an African- American. As he performed sweat dripped down his dark brow. He was a tall and slender man. He wore clothes right out of the disco era. Light purple bellbottom pants and a light purple jacket to match. His shiny leather shoes tapped to the music he was singing. His eyelids were closed concealing his brownish eyes from view and he gripped the stand of the mic and swung it around as he sang. His hair was a sweaty mess by the end of the happy hour and yet he still had about three more songs to go until the bar closed up. He had been on tour for a good long time now. Going from jazz club to jazz club. He enjoyed it. He was so into his music this particular night he failed to notice the green-haired, cool-looking man slip through the double doors to the club and take his seat at the back. The man's blue sports coat and yellow shirt collars were both turned up and his sleeves were all the way up to his elbows. His different color eyes always scanned his surroundings. He casually sat down and lit up a smoke.  
  
Spike had noticed the room in detail in almost a split second. He had learned that anything was useful. He saw a few people glance at him as he walked in and then they did a double back. Spike was undoubtedly sure they saw the bulge under his right arm. It was his gun. His Israeli Jericho. Never left home with out it. When you're a bounty hunter you must always be prepared. As he puffed on his cigarette he saw it just added to the already lingering smoke in the air. He then stood up very casually and walked to the bar. He, in truth, was just trying to get a better look at the stage where Harley was. Looking for any sort of trap door or the like. He wanted to make sure that he brought home the bounty. A twenty-eight million- woolong bounty was out on Harley. Spike was certain that more than a few of the people who gave him a second glance were also after the same prize. As he approached the bar he put his hands on it and looked up blowing the smoke from his lungs out through his nose. His head stayed upright looking at the ceiling while his hand came up and snatched the cigarette from his lips. He shook his head comically and chuckling.  
  
"Jeez… If I miss this Faye'll never let me hear the end of it." He mumbled to himself  
  
He could just see Faye in her small top and short shorts coming out and start screaming at him about missing the bounty and how she worked so hard on it. By now Spike already knew exactly how she would react if that became the case. He even knew how her glossy purple hair fell across her face when she was angry. He smirked at how well he knew that woman when she was convinced no one knew her at all. Spike then switched serious and put his head down once more. He needed to focus on actually getting the bounty, not what would happen if he didn't. He waved the bartender over and asked for a scotch on the rocks. The old man behind the bar smiled, nodded, and began making the drink. Spike turned around so he faced the crowd and propped his elbows up on the bar. The bartender slipped the drink on a coaster to his left. He brought his right hand around and took the drink. He took a sip and through the refracted, shaped glass of his drinking glass he saw two men in a tan uniform walk through the same double doors he had entered just a few moments earlier. The walked in. Everyone looked at them once and didn't give them another thought. They sometimes picked up the walkie- talkie on their shoulder and talked in it. Over the music of the band you could hardly make out the static sound it made. One of the two was old. He was most likely in his early fifties. His gray hair was in a flattop and he fingered the handle of his rather old revolver anxiously.  
  
The other man was much younger. His hair was spiked up and blond. His early twenties face was what girls would call quite attractive. He wore sunglasses in addition to his uniform and in one ear protruded an earring. Spike smirked at this thinking to himself what his thoughts would have been if it were in the other ear. He looked toward this man's belt. It's holster was, unlike the elder's, occupying a Standard Issue Colt 9mm. Spike for a moment contemplated going and getting them pre-occupied with something else. He didn't want to deal with cops today, damnit. He shook his head. "Oh well" he thought. He grabbed his drink and started back to his table. As he was walking back someone came through the door. He saw it out of the corner of his eye. A dark figure strode through the door. He couldn't really make him out though. It was dark where the door was and he guided himself to the wall right next to the door and propped up against it. Spike continued back to his table every once in a while glancing at the mystery man by the door.  
  
A Few more minutes passed he played two more songs. Spike still was eying the unmoving figure by the door. The last song ended and there was a roar from the crowd. He bowed and told his band members to start putting there things up. He himself wound the cord of the microphone up and folded the stand and put it in its correct case. He also took the harmonica he had played for a few songs and put it in the correct case. He then turned toward the crowd to see a group around him. He was surprised to find no reporters in the entire crowd. He at first thought it a sign of his decreasing popularity, however then he found every single person there loved his performance. He was shaking hands and taking praise. He loved his fans. His fans loved him. It was a perfect trade. Then someone took his by now sweaty hand and gave it a hard shake. He was waving to people so he didn't notice the person who now had a firm grip on his hand.  
  
"That was some performance. I've been to all of yours just about and none have even been close to this." Spike proclaimed shaking the man's hand.  
  
"Why thank you." The performer replied still looking a different way.  
  
"Man! Just think that this one may be your last as a free man. After this you can play that harmonica as a jailbird." Spike remarked smiling.  
  
His grip on the man's hand grew tighter. The man finally turned to face him. Standing before him in a blue suit and with fluffed up green hair was Spike Spiegel. He jumped back a little. He was in deep trouble now. This Spiegel character was one of the most feared Cowboy's in this galaxy and he was after him! He looked around frightened. The people's attention was now focused on the scene in the middle of the club. Spike pulled out a pair of handcuffs and slapped one onto the frightened man's wrist.  
  
"County Prison here we come." Spike whispered mockingly as he was about to get his other arm and attach the cold ring of steel.  
  
"You damn bounty hunters." Were the angry words the man muttered with his head bowed. "Nothing is sacred to you people. I did what I did so my music will live on."  
  
"It will live on. I'm sure the warden will love to hear it." Spike said still smirking  
  
"If you keep acting like this, Spiegel, you won't live to see your next bounty!" exclaimed the man  
  
Spike's brow furrowed and he stifled a laugh. "What was this guy going to do?" he thought. He shook his head and before he knew what had happened the man's free fist came around and smashed Spike hard in the jaw knocking him down. He grunted in pain and rubbed his cheek.  
  
"God damnit! Come back here!" Spike yelled at the now running bounty-head.  
  
The man was running through the crowd of people pushing and punching them out of the way. There were cheers, gasps, and cries from the people around him. He needed out of here. He couldn't go the back way. He had already gotten his mind set on running to the front door, which was a very stupid choice. The band and parked the van at the back. "Why didn't he think more?" he thought. As he neared the front door that dark figure stepped in front of him. He was pushed down and found he was sitting on the wood floor of the club looking at his obstacle. A man with a slightly pale complexion and sunglasses hiding the color of his eyes was looking down at him. He wore a smirk on his face, which made him look like a combination of cruelty and coolness. His brown bangs from his longish hair fluttered in front of his face from the air circulating by the fans. His leather jacket and white undershirt were worn like that of someone overly trying to be cool but nevertheless, succeeding. With his collar turned up he almost had the look of Spiegel. His jeans were a black color like the rest of his attire and they had seemed to be bought a foot longer and the excess material was rolled up into a cuff that went up most of the length of his lower leg. His belt, too were odd as he has one through the normal belt loops and then had another across his hip at a diagonal angle. The man looked down upon the musician and grabbed his shoulder.  
  
"You're coming with me." Was all he vocalized in a scratchy voice.  
  
Spike was slowly pushing his way through the crowd of jazz and blues fans. He saw over the head of the last person in the group and saw the head of that mystery person grabbing onto the shoulder of the star of the night. Like a beast finally catching his prey. Spike did not take too kindly to this and began to rush out of the sea of people. As he went to fast he tripped over one of the people legs and fell down into the open space near the door. Quickly he got himself back up.  
  
"Hey!!! That's my bounty! Go get your own!" screamed Spike pointing at the man in the shadows.  
  
The man turned his head violently toward our green haired hero.  
  
"My reasons for capturing this man are much different than yours." He said in a sardonic sort of way  
  
"WHAT?!?! I need that bounty! I need the money, damnit!" Exaggerated Spike now standing upright and with his hands by his sides yelling.  
  
"I could care less about your petty debt problems." retorted the man not fazed by Spike's yelling.  
  
Spike clenched his hands into a fist and went up right beside the man. He grabbed his shoulder hard and had his teeth clenched.  
  
"Now you listen!!! I have been working on this bounty head for about a month now and you are not takin' it away from me!! So that man is coming with me."  
  
The mystery man just smiled at Spike.  
  
"What man?" he asked in a mocking tone.  
  
Spike looked at the ground where the performer once was. There was now no trace of him. Spike clenched his fist again. He looked up.  
  
"NOW LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME….." Spike complained however stopped mid- sentence.  
  
The man had disappeared. There was now no trace of either him nor the bounty.  
  
"CRAAAAP" Spike cursed as he ran to the back where the Swordfish II was parked.  
  
Two members of the Blue Snake crime syndicate were outside the bar. They were outside because they had an old friend inside. They both were dressed alike. Black suits, black hats, black shoes. They were basically undistinguishable except for their actual features. One was quite tall and the other was heavyset. One had a tan and the other was pale. They were quite opposites. The heavier one has been in the syndicate a long time and yet the other was a newbie. They were both outside all the commotion. The tall man was leaning up against their black sports car as the other checked his watch.  
  
"It should all be over with by now." As the fat one thought aloud while the sweat from under his hat trickled down his brow.  
  
"Yeah lets go in and see if he wants a drink." answered the tall one.  
  
Suddenly the performer from the bar busted out of the front door.  
  
The musician had given his two pursuers the slip. While they were fighting he snuck out the front. He ran outside to the parking lot. The first thing his eyes fixed upon were two men and their car. Determined he gritted his teeth and ran toward them.  
  
"Yeah let's go in and see if he wants a drink." The taller of the two said  
  
He then heard a gasping sound and turned around. Someone had just decked his partner and now saw a fist sailing for his face. Before he knew it he was on the ground. The man then got into the car and sped away. He was down the road quite a ways when he looked in his rear view mirror. Those two cops were on his tail. They were riding in a police car with their lights on and were quickly speeding after him. He muttered, "Damn…" to himself and he pushed the accelerator down even harder. He then heard a humming noise. He looked out his window in the sky. He saw a looming red figure zooming his way. It's engines shot flames out the back and he could almost make out Spike's grinning face in the gleaming glass of the cockpit.  
  
Spike was toggling the controls in his red mono-fighter. He readied his machine guns. He then got a lock on that black sports car his bounty had jacked. He shook his head.  
  
"Some people will no to no lengths…" he muttered under his breath  
  
He then noticed the police car coming up behind that same vehicle. "Damn" he thought "Busting up a cop wouldn't look very good for me." He then waved to the side a little to try and reposition himself for a nice clean shot at the bounty's tires. As he flew to the side a sleek, bird shaped, silver fighter zoomed in front of his own ship.  
  
"Ugh… What the hell?" Spike proclaimed  
  
That fighter did a somersault and tried shooting at the rouge Cowboy.  
  
"Well, well… you're more than just talk." remarked Spike playfully as he flanked to the side to avoid the stream of bullets coming toward him.  
  
Spike then sped up and completely did a U-turn and turned around the other way. He then did another somersault and lowered his altitude so he was directly under the mystery man's fighter. He then hit the break and pushed his nose up and fired a few rounds right into the ships hull. The other ship increased his height after the rumbling of his ship and tried firing downward at the red racer-class ship. Spike swiftly maneuvered his mono- cruiser out of the way and bullets hit the black pavement where the cop car was driving. This sudden explosion of shrapnel and bullets made them swerve very erratically. Harley looked back and saw the sudden movement of the pursuing police. Spike swerved up behind him and shot out the man's engine and he started flying in a very strange pattern now that his engine flaming and his already firing guns still fired out the ground. A few bullets ricocheted upward and blew out the cop's tires. The car spun out for a moment then with out warning flipped to the side and burst into flames. Spike, thinking that his adversary was out of the way, then aimed his own guns toward the tires of the actual bounty head. The black rubber exploded with air coming out of the excessive bullet holes. The car spun out and finally came to a stop.  
  
Spike landed his prize ship near the wreckage. He shook his head.  
  
"Well looks like jail is gonna be postponed till after a trip to the hospital." Spike said to the unconscious Harley just gave a moan of pain in return. Spike then heard an engine behind him. That ship had landed and the mysterious, shadowy man's head began to protrude from the open cockpit.  
  
"You just don't know when to quit!" Spike told the man teeth clinched.  
  
He then rushed at the man standing beside his ship. Spike went for a running kick and as if on cue he dodged out of the way and punched Spike's back. Spike landed on the ground hard and came back up to see the man rushing at him quickly. He rolled forward and let the man land behind him. He stood upright and aimed a jab to his gut. He blocked it with expertise precision. Spike then came up to give him a hard elbow to the curve of the man's jaw and he blocked that as well. As they continued to block blows with each other sirens started sounding in the background. The man stared off into the distance.  
  
"This is not the end. You shall see me again." Under his breath remarked the man mysteriously, his voice sounding far away.  
  
Spike looked in the direction of the sirens.  
  
"Hey what the hell are you talking about?" asked Spike as his green topped head began to turn to where the man was once standing… but he was gone…  
  
He then saw the silver, dragon-esque ship taking off and flying off. Police cars then started swarming around Spike and the wreckage. Spike put his hands at his sides and casually walked over the wreckage and pulled out the body of his bounty. He checked his pulse to make sure he was still alive. He then determined he was and draped him over his shoulders and walked away. 


End file.
